Abstract

A suture cutter assembly has a cutter blade (14) axially reciprocable relative to a tube (20) having at least one opening (24). An offset is in the tube or the cutter blade for capturing of the severed portion of the suture as the blade is advanced within the tube. A combined suture, bead, and knot cutter assembly includes a recess formed in a shaft which is axially reciprocable within a tube, which receives a suture enlargement, thereby placing the suture or suture enlargement to be cut by advancing the shaft. A suture may be passed through a distal opening in a tube and an aperture formed in the sidewall of the tube, permitting the pushing of a knot in the suture by the distal edge of the tube.